Bannen are risibIe as a pair of Italian priests. Unbelievably bad. Glasgow: Odeon Quay. The Sound Of Music (U) (Robert Wise. US. I965) Julie Andrews. Christopher Plummer. Richard Haydn. I73 mins. In the late I930s. vivacious nun Maria (Andrews) introduces the Von Trapp children to the joys of music. and their widowed father (Plummet) to the joys of love as Nazism begins to sweep Austria. One of the great screen musicals. completer uncynical. and boasting a host of memorable songs and charm-sodden moments. And it's all based on a true story. Glasgow: GFT.
Sphere (l2) (Barry Levinson. US. I997) Dustin Hoffman. Sharon Stone. Samuel L. Jackson. I33 mins. Jurassic Park writer Michael Crichton steals elements from Solaris and The Abyss for this story about a submerged spherical object which causes a group of scientists to give Physical form to their innermost fears. The designs and special effects are classy. and the cast works hard: but any cerebral pretensions are sunk by a flawed narrative that buckles under pressure. Edinburgh: UCI.
SpiceWorld: The Movie (PG) (Bob Spiers. UK. I997) The Spice Girls. Richard E. Grant. Alan Cumming. 93 mins. ‘A 90s Hard Day's Night. with a pinch of Spinal 721p and a little Speed thrown in.‘ says the publicity material. The story chronicles the hectic five days in the lead-up to the girls‘ first live concert at the Royal Albert Hall and. on the way. cratns in so many celebn'ty cameos. you get the sense this could be the big screen equivalent of Noelis House Party. ()f course. plenty of hit songs are included too. Edinburgh: City Centre ABC. Odeon. Stay Tuned (PG) (Peter Hyams. US. I992) John Ritter. Pam Dawber. Jeffrey Jones. 89 mins. Couch potato Roy Knable and wife getted zapped into TV Hell and have to survive 24 hours of deadly game shows and other broadcast spoofs in order to return to the real world. Basically an excuse for a succession of lame parodies. it plays to the attention span of'I'V audiences by never being in onejoke situation for more than a few minutes. Try another channel. Stirling: Carlton.
The Story Of The Late Chrysanthemums (I2) (Keiiji Mizoguchi. Japan. I939) I42 mins. ()ne of the earliest works in the Mizoguchi season. it‘s also one of the most accessible. given that the director‘s formal style is to some extent brightened by the story‘s sentimentality. A young Kabuki actor is persuaded by a maid to try harder at the art which has made his family famous. 'Iheir ensuing affair is not. however. to his father's liking. Glasgow: GI’I‘. Stirling: MacRobert. Taxi Driver ( I8) (Martin Scorsese. US. I976) Robert De Niro. Cybill Shepherd. Jodie Foster. I 14 mins. An alienated taxi driver in New York is so repelled by the squalor and the moral decay around him that he is driven to terrible violence. One of the key films of the 70s with the Scorsese-De Nll't) partnership at its peak. l-‘alkirk: Town Hall.
Titanic (I 2) (James Cameron. US. I997) Leonardo DiCaprio. Kate Winslet. Billy Zane. I94 mins. Cameron tackles the story of the doomed ocean liner through a touching love story that isn't overwhelmed by the awesome special effects. Rich girl Rose (Winslet) is unhappily engaged to arrogant Cal (Zane) btit falls for third-class passenger Jack (DiCaprio): love blossoms as the ship hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic. In all its on-screen glory. Titanic does indeed look like the most expensive film ever made. conveying both the scale of the disaster and the feeling of claustrophobia as the water rises. General release. TwentyFourSeven (IS) (Shane Meadows. UK. I997) Bob Hoskins. Bruce Jones. Frank Harper. 97 mins. A down and out (Hoskins) sets up a boxing club to give the locals a sense of purpose. but tragedy is always lurking. Shot in dazzling black and white. this is almost certainly the most notable portrayal of Nottingham since Albert Finney refused to be ground down in Saturday Night. Sunday Morning. Hoskins is marvellous in this harsh and beautiful film. Glasgow: Odeon Quay. Edinburgh: Cameo. Ayr: Odeon.
Twister (PG) (Jan De Bont. US. 1996) Helen Hunt. Bill Paxton. Jami Gertz. II3 mins. A meteorologist and his estranged
scientist wife get together again while chasing the biggest tornado to hit Oklahoma in decades. The plot is slight. but the characters are interesting and. of course. the special effects are amazing. But the structure is too repetitive - each storm is a little bigger. each encounter a little closer — for this to be something really special. St Andrews: New Picture House.
Ugetsu Monogatari (I2) (Kenji Mizoguchi. Japan. I953) 96 mins. One of the defining arthouse movies of the 50s is at last available again in the UK. During a bitter civil war. a greedy potter takes advantage of the situation while his neighbour heads off to become a samurai. As in much of Mizoguchi's work. it's the women who bear the brunt of male irresponsibility. Formally composed. with a compelling humanism at its core. Stirling: MacRobert.
The Ultimate Performance ( I8) (Kevin McDonald. UK. I997) 76 mins. Scottish documentary filmmaker McDonald takes questions after the screening of this study of the late. enigmatic Donald Cammell. Best known for his collaboration with Nicolas Roeg on Performance. Cammell also made Demon Seed and White Of The Eye before his bizarre suicide in I996. Glasgow: GFT. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
US Marshals (I2) (Stuart Baird. US. I998) Tommy Lee Jones. Wesley Snipes. Irene Jacob. I33 mins . Tommy Lee Jones reprises his Oscar-winning role as relentless US Marshal Samuel Gerard in this half-decent sequel to The Fugitive. This time. it‘s CIA agent Snipes who has been framed for murder and is on the run. Snipes is a bit of a superman compared to his predecessor (who had to rely solely on his wits) and this lessens the drama somewhat. General release.
U-Turn (I8) (Oliver Stone. US. I997) Sean Penn. Jennifer Lopez. Billy Bob Thornton. I25 mins. Stone avoids controversy and goes instead for a smaller. genre piece with skilful storytelling. strong performances and punchy cinematography. Penn is an unlucky dude who gets embroiled in a seedy murder plot between husband and wife when his car breaks down in the desert. A small. perfectly formed gem. Edinburgh: UCI. Paisley: Showcase.
Wag The Dog (15) (Barry Levinson. US. I997) Robert De Niro. Dustin Hoffman. Anne Heche. 97 mins. A spin doctor cooks up a fictitious war to help a US President through a tricky and scandal-filled re-election campaign — all done-and-dusted well before Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal surfaced. But outside its frightenineg impeccable tinting. this Mamet-scripted satire comes in heavy handed form. As one ‘problem' after another is encountered and solved. the cool. ironic tone of the opening section is rapidly replaced by one of simple hysteria. Irvine: Magnum.
War Of The Buttons (PG) (John Roberts. UK. I994) Colm Meaney. Gregg Fitzgerald. John Coffey. 94 mins. The rivalry between two villages in the south west of Ireland is taken up in childish skirmishes between local schoolkids. but soon their battles escalate. Colin Welland's script oozes Irish charm and a love of childhood. but the repetitive structure begins to wear thin. Falkirk: Town Hall.
What Have I Done To Deserve This? (Pedro Almodovar. Spain. I984) Carmen Maura. Luis Hostalot. I00 mins. From the camera that brought you Women On The Verge . . .. an earlier. more surreal vision of desperation. sex and bizarre familial interactions in middle~class Spain. The central role is again played by a distracted Maura. this time as a housewife coping with her depression and her ghastly family by taking a wee snort of cleaning fluid with her prescribed amphetamines. Another gem. Glasgow: Gilmorehill.
White of the Eye (I8) (Donald Cammell. UK. I986) David Keith. Cathy Moriarty. Alan Rosenberg. I II mins. More serial killings. this time of a clearly misogynist bent. This offbeat murder mystery manages to pull in apocalyptic overtones with a geuinely brooding atmosphere. Directed by Donald Cammell. best known for his collaboration with Nic Roeg on Performance. Glasgow: GET. Edinburgh: Filmhouse.
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30 Apt-‘14 May I998 THELIST 29